Kia ora

Welcome to the latest update from the Tākaka Hill repairs team.

The project has been disrupted by major weather events through late winter and early spring and by the recent Alert Level 4 lockdown. But as you will see below, work is continuing and good progress is being made. We’re still on track to have two lanes open by the end of the year.

Following is the work we've completed during September:

• Site 6 - The retaining wall is now complete and the new culvert has been installed.
• Site 7 - The new pavement has also been laid, surfacing completed and guardrail works have started.
• Site 9 - The new pavement has been constructed, surfacing completed and guardrail works have started.
• Site 11 – The retaining wall is now 100% complete and pavement construction has started.
• Site 13 - The retaining wall is 100% complete, and the second of the two new culverts have been installed. Pavement repairs have been completed, ready for the new surfacing to be laid.

The images below give you a glimpse into the progress we are making beneath the road at each site - which is not always visible when you're driving.

Further down you'll find more information about the upcoming night closures so you can plan ahead.

Visit our gallery for all of the project's visual updates

Plan ahead for 5-night road closure late November

In late November we have our final 5-night road closure that will enable our crew to complete surfacing works. This work is weather dependent. And we’ll let you know as soon as the dates are confirmed.

If you need access over the hill for night work or essential commitments, please email takakahill@nzta.govt.nz or call Kane Reihana on 027 886 4508. We will do our best to accommodate your needs, however we cannot guarantee access.

Access is always available for emergency services throughout the closure.

Recent rainfall and subsequent slips required a full overnight road closure to clear slip debris

Challenges on site

The winter 2021 floods, intense rainfall and serious slips have continued to impact the site.

The most recent was last Thursday when heavy rain caused two slips within close proximity of each other. The crew worked around the clock to clear the slip debris and have the road reopened the following day.

Site 13 - digger excavating through SH60 layers to make the stormwater pipe trench, at the same time as concrete retaining walls are broken through.

Recent night works

Major tasks such as installing new stormwater culverts across the road cannot be done during the day. The narrow road and close cliff edges mean it would be impossible to work on one half of the road while letting one lane of traffic through. It is too dangerous for the crews and traffic. Closing the road at night is essential to complete this work, while also minimising disruption to people’s journeys.

Road being milled under floodlights, preparing for the road surfacing stage

With only eight hours each night, the team needs to be ready with a precise sequence of work.

This planned closure, the team were able to safely complete the work ahead of schedule in just 11 nights, meaning less disruption to people using the road. Here we see much of the team working in a close and tightly sequenced manner to carry out these tasks.

From left, one team prepares a surfacing mix that will form the inside shoulder of the road.

In the centre, the truck receives milled road asphalt straight off a conveyor belt.

On the right, the road milling operator strips the old road surface off and makes way for base layers to be rolled flat.

The road surfacing builds on many elements being completed including:

• stone wall baskets and foundations
• deep precast panels slotted into the wall
• large stormwater culvert in place for which the road had to be cut open
• capping beam to integrate the entire wall and road together, and
• new steel guardrail to keep road users safe.

Preparing the road for final surface

At site 9, one side of the road surface is ground down and the milled asphalt removed directly by truck. On the near side, the gravel base layers are rolled over to be as smooth as possible, ready for the new surfacing.

New surface being laid

After the old road is removed, five crew build the new road surface

The team have sought to minimise the impact on the community as much as possible.

Team shout out!

The whole team would like to give a huge shoutout to everyone who uses this road for being so patient and understanding over the last month as we’ve been challenged by COVID-19 restrictions, bad weather and a 11-night closure.

There is one more planned 5-night closure late November.

Weather permitting, we're on the home stretch.

Keeping cyclists safe

Just a reminder that people venturing over the hill on their bikes can call the freephone 0800 909 605 or 021 226 9664 when they arrive at either end of the lights to be picked up. The phone number is displayed at each set of traffic lights.

Find out more

Email us at takakahill@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website nzta.govt.nz/takaka-hill